Where are the best study spots on campus?

Bridie O’Shea uncovers the best spots on campus to study so you’ll ace that dreaded exam (or exams, and in that case, my prayers go out to you poor souls).

Yes friends, it’s that time of the year again. People are grumpy and irritable, have bags under their eyes, are wandering around lost and muttering words under their breaths and someone somewhere is having a mental breakdown in a corner.

It’s exam season.

And with exams comes stress and frustration, and if you’re anything like me no work gets done at home. None. Nada. Zilch.

So in order to get those eyes reading and those brains learning, here is a list of the best study spots at UON.

Student Hubs

Hunter Hub. Image by Jackie Brock.

Both the Shortland and Hunter sides of Callaghan campus have their own student hubs as well as City Campus on King Street, Ourimbah (across from the main cafeteria) and Port Macquarie campus on the level two of the library. And if you like a bit of background chatter, these are the places to be.

Student hubs feature computer facilities to work on assignments and tables if you need a lot of space for all those textbooks. They also offer printing, scanning and copying facilities to help with those notes you’ve definitely been writing up all semester and not just trying to sort them out two days before your exam.

With toilet facilities, survival stations and cafes nearby, the student hubs are definitely the place to be if you don’t have time to wander far from your study.

Silent sections in the Auchmuty Library

If you can’t have any noise when you’re studying, the silent sections in the Auchmuty library on the Shortland side of campus are the places for you. The medical and law sections of the library offer quiet spaces for those of you who need to put their head down and get stuck into the study – no distractions.

Flowers Room

Flowers Room. Image by Laura Unicomb.

The Flowers Room is known for it’s chilled vibe – being a perfect place to study for those who are stressed to the max. There are spaces for group study sessions for you and friends to get together and constantly judge your life choices, as well as lounges for comfort … or a nap, let’s be real here. The Flowers Room also plays host to thousands of textbooks to help you out when you get stuck and is a short walk down to the AIC for a coffee or to use the microwave.

Auchmuty Information Common (AIC)

The AIC on the bottom level of the Auchmuty library is the pinnacle when it comes to a study place for exam season. Open 24/7 during semester, the AIC provides individual and group workspaces with Bytes Café, vending machines and toilets nearby. It also offers access to PCs and Macs, print/copy, scanners and laptop borrowing facilities, along with a survival station where you can heat up leftovers in the microwaves or make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. There is also an Information Service Desk to assist with any queries you have, and unfortunately, no, bribing them to write your essay for you doesn’t come under that banner. Sorry.

CT building

A hidden jewel of Callaghan is the CT building. There are two computer rooms on the lower level that are usually empty during exam season, meaning you have the complete run of the place. Toilets, vending machines and water stations are also located on the lower level, so you don’t have to walk far from your study station. But if you need something a bit more substantial than a packet of chips from the vending machine, the Coffee Cart is just outside the doors (and they have no eftpos minimum! Because really, who carries cash around these days?).

Huxley Library

Huxley Library. Image by Jackie Brock.

Now we couldn’t mention Auchmuty Library and not talk about Huxley library on the Hunter side of campus. Similar to the Auchmuty Library, Huxley offers The Huxley Information Common. This has nine group study booths, PC availability, laptop benches, lounges and a print/copy area. And with Pinkies lolly shop right around the corner, may your sugar levels be high, and your brain remembering at supersonic speed.

Mamaduke Cafe

Mamaduke Cafe. Image by Jackie Brock.

For those that need a laid back, stress free environment to study or work on assignments, Mamaduke cafe is the place for you. Located in the Shortland Building, Mamaduke is a cosy spot for you to get work done either at the lounges or tables surrounded by the smell of coffee and atmospheric noise. And with toilets just next door, you can settle in for the day knowing that everything you’ll need is at your fingertips.

And there you have it, our list for the best places to study on campus. For those of you who still have exams left to study for, why not give one of these places a try. A change of scenery might be exactly what you need to curb that study slump.

Did we miss you favourite study spot on campus? Let us know down in the comments.